Sway
by Rowan and Sakura
Summary: Ryou is caged by the spirit of the Ring, Jou is Kaiba's pet. But maybe one night, they can break their chains...and be free... slight JouRyou, SetoJou HondaOtogi


Title: Sway

Challenge: Party Quirks

Genre: Angst/Romance (sort of twisted)

Canon: nope!

Length: 2917 words (thank goodness for my limit)

Rating: PG-15

"Hey, can I get you a drink, babe?" the waiter leered across the table at Ryou. He shook his head quickly and muttered under his breath.

"No, thank you. I don't drink."

The man turned away, slightly disappointed. Jounouchi rolled his eyes.

"That's the fifth time this evening, Bakura-kun!" he said. "You're twenty now; you're allowed to drink if you want to."

Ryou ducked his head, blushed. "I know, I just…they all think I'm a girl."

Jou laughed. "Maybe you should let them think that. Live a little, Bakura-kun." Ryou sighed. Jou, exasperated, shook his head and began looking around the room. His eyes lit up when he saw Honda and Otogi walk through the door. "Hey Bakura-kun! It's Honda and Otogi-kun. They must be on a date or something." Jou stood up and waved. "Hey, Honda! Over here!"

Honda, arm around Otogi's waist, grinned and waved back with his free hand. "Jou! Hey!" He led Otogi over to the table, his boyfriend frowning at the other man. "What are you doing here?"

"It's Bakura-kun's birthday today," Jou said, moving to sit beside Ryou.

Honda took a seat across from his friends; Otogi remained standing with his arms folded. "Hey Bakura-kun. Oh that's right, you're twenty this year, aren't you?" Ryou nodded shyly. "Oh, I get it now. Jou took you out to get drunk, pick up some girls, and start your year off with a bang, didn't he?" Ryou blushed in response.

"Yeah, but so far we've had no luck," Jou complained. "Bakura-kun refuses to drink and only men have approached us. They think he's a girl."

Otogi smirked at Jou. "Mheh, and what does Kaiba-kun think of this, eh? I'm surprised he let you off your leash tonight, Jounouchi-kun. Did he tell his puppy to fetch him a nice, bosomy girl, or does he prefer them thin and pretty?"

Jou turned a nasty face up at Otogi, who glanced back with self-satisfaction. Jou looked back to Honda in annoyance. "Tell pussy to retract his claws, or I'll teach him why cats should never bother a dog."

Honda sighed and shook his head. "You both are hopeless. Can't you get along for my sake?"

"Hiroto, I don't remember this being a double date," Otogi snapped irritably. "Could we please just go? Besides, we're invading their birthday celebration." Otogi's face loosened a little as he nodded his head towards Ryou. "Happy Birthday, Bakura-kun. I'm sorry you'll have to deal with Jounouchi-kun when he gets smashed, but I guess you brought it on yourself." He then turned his back and stalked across to an empty table on the other side of the room.

Honda stood. "Good to see you Jou. Happy Birthday to you, Bakura-kun. Don't let Jou push you around too much." Then he left too and Jou took his seat across from Ryou once more.

They were quiet for some time until Jou spoke. "Bakura-kun, why don't you like celebrating your birthday? In all the years I've known you, it's never been a happy time for you. Why not?"

Ryou shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "I suppose, the passage of time is not very significant to me. It never really mattered." However, a voice in the back of Ryou's head told him that was not the reason at all. He touched his hand to his chest, seeking the cool gold of the Sennen Ring through the fabric. The bangles moved over his skin, the design creating shivers through his stomach.

Jou stood then and reached his hand towards Ryou. "Come on, Bakura-kun; I'll show you the best way to make time stand still."

Ryou slipped his hand into Jou's, allowed him to lead him out of the restaurant. He ignored the twinge of pain behind his forehead.

Jou helped Ryou into his car, then slipped into the driver's seat. "I've never had a taste for alcohol, but every now and then, it's okay. We're staying at my place tonight; there's a bar real close by. We'll go there, knock back a few beers, get you totally wasted, and hopefully grab a few chicks while we're at it. Sound good, Bakura-kun?"

Ryou did not reply.

With a shrug, Jou pulled his seat belt on and pulled out of the parking lot into the busy street. Reaching across the dashboard, he turned the radio on with a flick of his finger. Loud guitars screamed from the stereo while crashing drums and cymbals pulsed their heart rates. A sensual voice floated through the tension-tight air and Jou joined in the mind bending lyrics. Ryou continued staring straight ahead, his hands tucked beneath his thighs, his fingers sweaty between the leather and denim. He imagined twining his hot fingers around the cold metal of the Ring, rubbing the brown twine against his cheek, and a tiny sigh of wistful pleasure escaped into the rock-rived atmosphere.

A few moments later, Jou pulled out of traffic and into a parking garage beneath an apartment building. "Alright, Bakura-kun? Ready to go wild?" He turned to Ryou with a wide grin on his face.

Ryou looked away and shrugged. "I guess so, Jounouchi-kun." His voice came out flat and Jou sighed. Shaking his head, he brightened. Ryou would not defeat his optimism.

"That's the spirit!" he said, punching Ryou lightly on his arm. "Alright then, let's go!" He stepped out of the car, then circled around and helped Ryou out.

Walking side by side down the street from the apartment building, they soon reached a lively place with the door propped open. There were bright neon lights advertising beer names and one light display in the window in the shape of a baseball, with a red "Y" garishly exhibited in the middle. Music poured out into the street, mixed with loud chatter. Jou entered through the doorway and waved to some people in the back who tore their eyes away from the TV long enough to yell back to Jou, but they were quickly back to the baseball game on the large screen, beer bottles clenched tightly in their hands, lips worried with biting anxiety.

"People you know?" Ryou asked as he and Jou sat down on some barstools.

"Yeah, they live on my hall. Really decent guys, but they're crazy about their baseball team. They keep saying their team's good enough for the World Series and that one day they'll go to America to cheer them on." Jou smiled and shook his head. "Crazy, but I told them to get me a seat on the plane when it happens."

Ryou smiled back. "Sounds nice."

Jou grew serious. "Hey, Bakura-kun, you can move in with me if you want. You don't even have to pay rent."

"No, Jounouchi-kun, it's okay. I got a single this year and the space is very cozy. I have a very nice view of the quad."

Jou exhaled. "Well, okay. It's going to be weird, not having you as my roommate anymore. Maybe next year." Ryou nodded. He knew there would never be a next year.

The bartender came then and Jou ordered something Ryou could not quite catch. A minute later, the bartender placed a small glass filled with a clear liquid on the bar in front of him and a beer bottle in front of Jou. Ryou glanced over at his friend, but he was taking a sip of beer, so he looked back at the glass and sighed. Reaching his hand out, he picked it up and held it close to his face. There was only a little bit to drink, so it couldn't be that harmful, Ryou reasoned, but still, Jou's intent was to get him drunk. He twirled the glass in the air; the liquid spun like water. Shrugging, he tossed his head back and drank it all at once.

From the way the liquid burned a nasty trail down his throat, Ryou knew it was strong with alcohol. Typical of Jou to be so reckless. Ryou shook his head to clear the burn of the alcohol in his mouth, and then delicately placed the glass back on the wood. Looking over, Jou was grinning at him. "You like that?" he asked, then ordered two more. Each one Ryou sent whizzing down his throat, until, after the third, his head screamed at him to stop throwing his head around.

Ryou closed his eyes and bowed his head and he could feel the Sennen Ring move away from his skin, from his churning belly heavy with liquor. When he opened his eyes again, things were beginning to sway and Jounouchi was the only thing that moved with deliberate thought. Ryou hastily clung to his friend as he swayed off his seat. "Jou, everything's melting," he muttered.

Jou chuckled beside Ryou's ear and it took a minute for blurred brown eyes to realize Jou was beside him, an arm supporting him beneath his shoulder blades. They were staggering together down the street and as they walked, Ryou felt the initial wave of alcohol wash off in an instance of shocked sobriety. "I'm okay. It's okay," he said, gently shoving Jounouchi away. "I can walk fine on my own."

Jou gave Ryou a stunned look, then shrugged and grinned. "Okay, Bakura-kun. Seems you can hold your liquor pretty well. I'm impressed."

Ryou frowned. "Jounouchi-kun?"

"My tolerance is pathetic, actually. I drink one bottle of beer and I'm done. It's kind of fun, sometimes, because I get really silly when I'm drunk, according to Seto and Honda. Honda's a genius when it comes to drinking games. I've seen him down thirteen shots in five minutes and still walk around the room." Jou laughed quietly, the night around them making walls to hold intimate conversations. Someone walked past huddled in a light jacket; Ryou wondered where the person was from. Perhaps Honshu or Kyushu, some place not so cold. Jou was still talking and Ryou looked back to him. "True, he made a beeline for the bathroom, but it was a very deliberate beeline." Jou flashed white teeth at Ryou, expecting a laugh.

"You mean, I have good tolerance?"

"Better than mine," Jou snorted. "We're going back to my place now. I figured if you're going to get drunk, I'll need to get serious."

"And that means?"

"Oh, just your typical drinking game."

They took the elevator up to the eleventh floor and when Ryou exited the lift, his head spun like crazy. Arms around each other's waists, they managed to stagger with a little dignity down the hallway to Jounouchi's room. The apartment was sparsely furnished, with a simple beige carpet, a bland teal couch with a conservative coffee table and TV set. There was a kitchenette inset on the right of the hallway and further down was the bedroom. A closet by the front door Ryou first mistook for the bathroom, which was buried further into the apartment. Paintings of beaches and sailboats and artistic photographs of eagles in flight lined the walls.

Though the apartment was simply decorated, everything in there flowed like a stream. The wood of the coffee table legs contrasted with the carpet weave, while the glass top had a dull green center that coordinated with the sofa. Even the thoughtful arrangement of the pictures showed Ryou that Kaiba-kun had hired an interior decorator for his prize pooch.

It was nothing like their messy, homey, beloved dorm room. Ryou missed the lofted beds and wooden desks facing each other. He longed for the tedious winter breaks when Jou's pent-up energy went into persuading Ryou to abandon his homework for a snowball fight. He missed having the option of turning his desk away from Jou's annoying face. Now there was no one to turn his back to but himself.

"Well? Do you approve?" Jou beamed with pride. Ryou just walked past him into the living area. He sat down on the couch.

"We forgot the girls."

Jou sat down beside Ryou, ignoring what he said. "I'll get us a six-pack. Not that I plan to last that long." He stood, entered the kitchen, and returned with six cans of beer. He opened one can and handed it to Ryou, then grabbed another for himself. "The game's called 'I never'. You say something you've never done, and if I have, I drink. First one utterly wasted loses."

Ryou did not think he would drink so much, but when Jou drank it was true, he got silly. It was funny to feel the buzz in his head and see the lights scramble together. Had Jounouchi turned the lights low when he wasn't looking?

"I've never…shoved a perfectly good ice-cream cone down somebody's shirt," Jou giggled. Ryou frowned at him.

"Yeah, but you dumped yours on my head first!" Ryou exclaimed in a loud voice, pulling his legs beneath him on the couch and leaning up to push Jou against the couch arm. He lifted the beer can in his hand and took a final swallow. "All done!" and then he threw the empty can over Jou's shoulder. A few drops of beer soaked into the carpet.

"Okay, your turn Ryou-sama-san!" Jou said, equally loud, his eyes bright and frivolous. He raised his beer can in challenge.

Ryou looked up at the Jou's flushed face, his hands clenching his forearms. "I've never…I've never…made love to Kaiba-kun." His eyes lit accusatory, his fingers tightening on Jou's flesh, his lips parted menacingly.

Jou lifted the beer can to his lips, the wet metal rim trembling against the pink pillows. "Ryou," he whispered, then took a tiny sip. "My turn." He set the can on the glass table. "I've never…let's dance, Ryou. I've never danced with you before."

Ryou reached over to the table and lifted the beer can to his mouth. "But I have." He tilted his head back and lusty eyes traced the line of his pale, tender neck. A moment later, Ryou's head came back down. The can was empty and he let it fall to the floor at their feet. standing up, Ryou moved away from the table and raised his arms out wide. "You want to dance with me, Jounouchi?"

Jou nodded and stumbled up into Ryou's body, his arms finding Ryou's waist, slender and sweet inside his skin. Ryou let his head fall against Jou's shoulder. The Ring fell forward against Jou's chest.

A pulsating shriek pierced Ryou's head in half and he fell out of Jou's arms screaming. His hands pressed inside his hair, on his skull, pressing the scream into the dark corners of his thoughts. "Please please," he whimpered. "Please stop."

Jou knelt beside Ryou, a curious hand snaking through the air to land on Ryou's tense arm. "Ryou? What is it?"

Tears were in Ryou's eyes, but the shriek had abated and Ryou let his hands fall. "Nothing, Jou. Hold me?"

Jou nodded and his arms enfolded across Ryou's collarbone, pulling him onto his lap. "You're beautiful, Ryou-sama-san. Ryou-dono-kun. Be mine?"

Ryou shook his head slowly. Then, suddenly, he began to laugh. Jou sent an inquisitive look through the air. "No matter how I shake my head, it is like no time passes at all. Is this what you meant, Jounouchi?"

He pressed his lips against Ryou's hair. "Yes, Ryou. My birthday present to you."

"Because you love me."

"What ever you want," Jou whispered against the white tresses.

"You can never have me. I never…wanted you."

Jou felt like crying. "Yes…I understand."

Ryou fell out of his arms and stood up, walking towards the table. The floor was a beige sea and he was drowning, reaching towards the beer can buoy bobbing among the waves. It was taking him towards the teal cushion edge, but Jou was still on the glass land. Ryou wanted to reach out and smash the land. Jou should be falling over the edge too.

Jou stood up and coaxed Ryou to look at him. The look in his eyes sent Jounouchi to the tender crook in his neck. Ryou let the fierce teeth and smooth tongue brush over his skin. Jou was insistent but gentle in his nibbling, but the shirt got in the way. Hands courted the shirt hem then pushed it up, over lithe skin and over a sad face. The Sennen Ring sparkled against Ryou's chest, the brown twine soft on his neck. The shirt fell to the floor.

"No matter what, it always comes back. It is me now, you understand," Ryou said, watching Jou's eyes murder the trinket on his skin.

Jou's hands lifted the Ring off Ryou's chest, the bangles spilling past his palms. The gold was infected, corroding in his hands. The fingers traveled up to the string, petting the soft material. Jou lifted the Ring over Ryou's head.

"No!" Ryou cried, eyes wide, head burning as the twine passed his forehead. "God, god, god." His eyes clenched shut against the pain. And then it ended.

Ryou glanced up at Jou, the Ring resting in his hands. "What are you doing, Jou?" Jou did not respond but began to swing the Sennen Ring in a circle, like an ancient Ferris wheel. "Jounouchi?"

The Ring picked up speed, whirring close to Jou's face. An arm jerk brought the gold trinket crashing into the glass table, splitting the top in thousands of tiny jewel slivers. Jou dropped the Ring in the middle of the wood frame. He looked up and smiled at Ryou.

"Just for once, okay?"

_End_

God, I can't write twisted. I tried, but for some reason I don't think it came out right. I mean, Ilike it, but it's not twisted. I'll want to try to write something really wicked at least once. Ah well, I was trapped in my own restrictions- no longer than three thousand words. I just made it (not counting this of course.) Overall, I really liked it. The back story is probably enormous. That just boggles me, y'know? Well, please review, you know the drill. Ya, thank you!

-Rowan and Sakura


End file.
